n. & v.
--n.
1. a material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process. b (attrib.) made of leather.
2 a piece of leather for polishing with.
3 the leather part or parts of something.
4 sl. a cricket-ball or football.
5 (in pl.) leather clothes, esp. leggings, breeches, or clothes for wearing on a motor cycle.
6 a thong (stirrup-leather).
--v.tr.
1. cover with leather.
2 polish or wipe with a leather.
3 beat, thrash (orig. with a leather thong).
Phrases and idioms:
leather-jacket
1. Brit. a crane-fly grub with a tough skin.
2 any of various tough-skinned marine fish of the family Monacanthidae. leather-neck Naut. sl. a soldier or (esp. US) a marine (with reference to the leather stock formerly worn by them).
Etymology: OE lether f. Gmc